Latest Bollywood News

Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan To Charge Rs 4 crore

2008-03-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

The star-price war has escalated to an all-time high. With Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan carrying home a pay packet of Rs 4 crores for her proposed stint as Rajnikanth's leading lady in Shankar's Robot, the lady has now become the highest-paid actress of Indian cinema.

A source very close to Aishwarya says, "The media has got it all wrong. Ash has actually received twice the amount quoted in papers and on websites as her fee for Robot. Yes, it's close to Rs 4 crores. And she's very amused when she reads about this and that actress being the highest-paid actress in Bollywood. With three hits in a row (Guru, Dhoom 2 and Jodhaa Akbar) Ash's equity as a Rai and a Bachchan have gone through the roof. If she wants she can preen about her successes. But that's not her style. However, she takes strong exception to Bipasha Basu's quotes that she (Ash) had to 'hang around' to get into the international circuit. Ash has been regularly offered international projects, from Provoked to Mistress Of Spices to Bride & Prejudice to Last Legion to Pink Panther. In fact, all the other international assignments that have gone to other Bollywood actresses-including the honour of hosting the 7Wonders Of The World event in Lisbon with Ben Kingsley-have gone to Ash first. It's just that she feels awkward talking about herself."

As for her astronomical fee for Robot another source close to the project says, "It is no surprise that Aishwarya is getting 4 crores. It's still chicken-feed compared with what Rajnikanth gets paid. He takes home Rs 15 crores plus fifty percent of his film's profits. But still he cannot make a film commercially viable outside the Tamilian belt on his own. The dubbed Hindi version of Chandramukhi came and went. And Rajni's biggest hit Shivaji is in no hurry to be released in Hindi. With Ash in Robot it looks like an attractive non-regional film."

Govinda overwhelmed by Hansikaa’s dancing skills

2008-02-27T03:58:00.000-08:00

Govinda is one of the best dancers our industry has known so far. So, when this veteran dancer praises some new comer, there must be definitely something worth praising. Talking about praises, both Govinda and choreographer Ganesh Acharya were impressed by Hansikaa’s graceful dancing steps during a dance sequence being shot for ‘Money Hai To Honey Hai’. Govinda even told director Ganesh that Hansikaa’s fervor and enthusiasm reminded him of himself from his old days and it feels like she is from his school itself, when it comes to dance!!
If sources are to be believed this particular dance number exudes amazing brilliance owing to the dancing skills of Govinda and Hansikaa and their chemistry has taken the number to even greater heights.

Ashiwarya Rai and Rajnikant To Pair Up

2008-02-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

After the mind-blowing success of ‘Shivaji: The Boss’, director Shankar had announced that he will repeat the 57-year-old actor Rajnikant in ‘Robot‘ - a Rs.1 billion film, which the industry predicts will be a greater success. Maestro A.R. Rahman will compose the music. The film will be released in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages and will be distributed by London-based Ayingaran International.

Aishwarya Rai has been roped in by Shankar to pair opposite Rajnikant. Ash has signed the film for 1.5 crores and she has replaced Deepika Padukone who was considered earlier for the role. With this Rajnikanth has fulfilled his desire to work with Ash who couldn’t do Sivaji due to date problems. Meanwhile the official contract of the film has been approved by Amitabh Bachchan himself after altering few clauses and signed by Aishwarya.

Bollywood Top Tax Actors

2008-01-18T03:01:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actors are spending most of their money on taxes. It is because of them that so much of money is going into our treasury and that is really good for us. But wonder if the government is making good use of it.

Here is a list of our top Bollywood tax payers.

Top individual advance income taxpayers in Bollywood of 2007-2008 till December 31.

Shah Rukh Khan-27 Rs crore:Om Shanti Om and Chak De India, besides money earned from advertisements have enabled him to contribute so much.

Akshay Kumar- Rs 7 crore:Consecutive hits like Bhool Bhulaiya and Welcome have really added to the stunt man’s purse.

Abhishek Bachchan- Rs 3.7 crore Not many releases this year caused him to pay so less this time. Also, the man was busy with his newly wedded wife.

Aamir Khan-Rs 3 crore: Last year he paid around 6 crore.This time it has become half the amount. Tax collectors however, are rejoicing with Taare Zameen Par’s success. TZP has been a hit at the box office which is real good news for the treasuery.

Himesh Reshammiya-Rs 2.5 crore: With more singing contracts in hand even his Tax payment has increased.

Amitabh Bachan :-Rs 1.8 crore:Well this is actually surprising. Big B seems to be in almost all the movies and he is paying so less. Tax officials please look nto the matter.

Working hard and shedding out in crores is painful sometimes especially for these actors.

Everything has its price, including stardom.

What do you say guys.

Hits and Misses 2007

2008-01-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hits

Om Shanti Om

Chak De India

Jab We Met

Namastey London

Guru

Partner

Bhool Bhulaiyaa

Heyy Babyy

Aap Kaa Surroor

Misses

Saawariya

Salaam-e-Ishq

Jhoom Barabar Jhoom

Ram Gopal Varma Ki Agg

Dus Khaniyan

Nishabad

Aaja Nachle

Eklavya

Cheeni Kum

The pick of the lot was Chak De India, which depicted hockey as a sport no less glamorous and exciting than the national obsession – cricket. It was fun to watch SRK turn a motley bunch of girls into world champions. The film’s title virtually became a national slogan, and the title song by Sukhwinder was a huge hit in India and abroad.

Messy, but cute

2007-12-14T01:51:00.000-08:00

“I may be messy and drop food on the table when I eat, but not on myself,” laughs Kunal Kapoor when we ask him how close is he in real life to Vivan of Laaga …. But, crazy yes he is, he confesses. A stint in the stock market, export firm, a construction group and an advertising company, before we saw him on 70 MM. We catch the local goonda of Aaja Nachle, and get the poet, foodie and a student of martial arts talking. Excerpts.

Ques:
A big Madhuri fan and now part of her comeback flick..
Ans:
As a child I grew with a big image of Madhuri and so when I started working with her, I would look for Madhuri, the star.

Ques:
Do we see Konkana and you together again?
Ans:
Right now, it’s a honeymoon period for us. But, one more flick together and we’ll be pulling each other’s hair.

Ques:
Excited or depressed, you wield the pen?
Ans:
I write poetry for myself and not many understand it. Martial arts too help me unwind.

Ques:
A Punjabi, do we get to see you in the city?
Ans:
I have my cousins in Chandigarh and I love Punjabi food, the more ghee and makkhan, the better it tastes.

Ques:
And for all you gals who can’t help drooling over Kunal, here’s what he has to say.
Ans:
Girls, you have great taste.

Madhuri Dixit : Her Fave Divas

2007-12-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

Vidya Balan: When I saw Parineeta, I saw that she could connect with the audience. She is definitely here to stay.

Konkana Sen Sharma: She was brilliant in Page 3. Since I’ve worked with her in Aaja Nachle, I know that she’s very good.

Rani Mukherji: She carries her scenes very well. When Rani is emoting, you can feel the emotions with her.

Preity Zinta: I recently saw Salaam Namaste and loved her in it. I love the way she carries off all those bubbly roles.

Kangana Ranaut: She was very different in Gangster. She has her own style, is very raw and that sets her apart from everyone else.

Aiming it right : Bipasha on Goal, relationships & acting

2007-12-03T05:18:00.000-08:00

What made you play a deglam role in Goal?

Ans: The storyline appealed to me, it is about the struggle of a football club in Southhall that is facing closure. And, I have full faith in the director Vivek Agnihotri.

How was the atmosphere on the sets?

Ans: All my co-stars John Abraham, Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani treated me like one of them. I was like a guy on the sets.

Do you think Goal can out do the success of Chak De?

Ans: I never judge a flick before its release. All I can do is hope that it does well, for it’s packed with a lot of visual delight.

Is a man important in your life?

Ans: Yes, definitely. And, why just me, I think every women enjoys being in a relationship. It’s important for everybody to find his or her true loves.

What is it that you love most about being a part of the film industry?

Ans: Acting, of course. It gives me a real high.

Shah Rukh Khan ‘sexiest Asian’

2007-11-25T22:26:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has emerged as the sexiest Asian man in the world in 2007, according to a list published by a weekly newspaper her.

Eastern Eye, a leading British-Asian paper, says last year’s winner Abhishek Bachchan was relegated to the fourth pourth position this year. Hrithik Roshan came second followed by John Abraham.

British Asians on the list include Patel, Jay Sean, Cricketer Mark Ramprakash and footballer Michael Chopra.

On being named the sexiest man on the planet, Khan told Eastern eye: “Me, really? Thanks, I feel too sexy to talk to anyone now!”

Bling On

2007-11-21T01:22:00.000-08:00

Mahima Chaudhry can compete yummy mummy title. The actor, who had kept away from Bollywood and sequestered herself with the baby, talking of how “giving birth is running like a nation”, was seen in the role of bling ambassador. Dressed in severe black and dripping in diamonds, Chaudhry’s cameo was to inaugurate the new Gitanjali store and unveil its new range. From bling to bollywood?

Dutt gets a break from jail work on Diwali

2007-11-14T23:53:00.000-08:00

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, lodged in Yerawada prison here following conviction by a TADA court for possessing weapons, has enjoyed a rare two-day recess from manual work as jail inmates celebrated Diwali.

Dutt, like the 2,000 other convicts lodged here, devoured sweets from the jail canteen during the break. But he had to shell out some money for it as, according to a senior official, the sweets were sold at a price to be paid by prisoners from their wages.

However, the inmates had to do other mandatory chores in the jail including washing, cleaning and cooking by rotation, even during the break, officials added.

Dutt, waiting for his bail application to come up before the Supreme Court, tentatively in the last week of this month, has been carrying on with the cane furniture work during his second stint at Yerwada, sources added.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Sanjay’s sister, and Congress MP, Priya Dutt had met him at the Yerawada jail.

An unusual love story

2007-11-09T23:22:00.000-08:00

OM Shanti OM is an unusual love story that spans 30 years in time. A part of the story is set in 1977. Expectedly, Farah Khan’s fixation for 70’s in the film industry. He harbours a dream of becoming a big superstar someday and love for someone special. Shantipriya (Deepika), a superstar of the 70’s, although has fame and adulation of her fans, longs for love in her life. She longs for someone who would love her from the bottom of her heart.

Om is not just a fan of Shanti but loves her deep within. She inspires him and instills him with love and hope. He watches her from afar. But the one day a small incident brings them together. Call it luck, Divine intervention or just plain coincidence.

When it happened, Om was witnessing the beginning of his love story.

But for some love stories, one lifetime is not enough. Om and Shanti’s story is one such. Life and love would betray them both. But they would meet again in another life. The second part of the story is set in 2007.

They met, fell in love but….

2007-11-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

Two years after enthralling the movie world with his highly acclaimed Black, Bhansali is back. At two hours and eight minutes of playing time , Saawariya is one of his shortest ever. The film is said to be inspired from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short story White Nights.

The flick is a timeless story of two young star-crossed loves whose passions almost consume their will to the brink of self destruction. In this eternal tale of an ode to romance, stand two lonely souls whose childlike innocence and candour only obscures their inner turmoil, anger, anxiety and desperate wait for love.

An artist, a free spirit, an idealist and dreamer, Raj (Ranbir) is certain that he has found his ultimate dream when he arrives at a quaint picturesque town. A place surrounded by mountains, shrouded in mist and enveloped in beauty, mythical enough to be a painter’s vision or a poet’s memory.

A chance encounter introduces him to Sakina (Sonam), a shy and quiet, melancholic and enigmatic girl who continues to intrigue him. Thus follows the beginning of a new friendship, where Raj, with his most charming ways and an undying spirit, tries to win Sakina’s heart. However, destiny paints a different picture for raj.

Father gets Faisal’s cutody not Aamir

2007-11-01T23:08:00.000-07:00

Bollywood star Aamis Khan was denied the custody of his actor-brother Faisal with a local court today ordering that the ailing sibling be under the care of their father for one month and treated for his mental ailment.

A Magistrate’s court while granting Faisal’s custody to his father Tahir Hussain, directed the actor to report to the Khar police station every alternate day and if his behaviour was found to be abnormal then he should be taken into police custody.

The court also directed Faisal to appear before it at the end of the next month and to take the treatment recommended by the psychiatry doctors of the JJ Hospital in south Mumbai.

Musical Mission : Rehman Eyes The Idiot Box

2007-10-31T02:03:00.000-07:00

Though music director A R Rahman has always been different from his contemporaries, the lure of television and the high TRPs of music shows would be too much, even for him to resist. However, Rehman will still manage to stand out, because his show Mission Ustaad to be launched on an upcoming entertainment channel, is also in partnership with the United Nations and the focus is “engrossing musical entertainment for a cause”. The idea behind Mission Ustaad is to communicate, simply, the Millennium Development Goals across the country. “I’m delighted with the idea and many eminent names from the music industry will be part of the show to entertain audiences,” smiled Rehman. While the producers were unwilling to divulge any more details about the show, with Rahman on board, it will be worth the wait.

The Legacy Continues

2007-10-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Memories were stirred and nostalgia ran high when first Bollywood family got together to herald the entry of fourth generation heir Ranbir Kapoor to the celluloid world legacy. Ranbir is making his cinematic debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya, which is being touted as one of the most eagerly, awaited films of 2007.

Ranbir said he was honored to have debuted in Saawariya. “The honor and respect is awesome. I promise you that I will strive to work harder so that you can always say I was worthy of this debut,” he said.

Speaking about his son’s debut, Rishi Kapoor said,” I am very happy that I am associated with a family that the stayed connected to the Indian film industry for the past 80 years. I am very grateful to the fans for their sustained support and would like to introduce the newest member of the family. It is my son Ranbir, I hope he makes a mark with his debut appearance on the silver screen.”

More trouble for SRK

2007-10-28T22:43:00.001-07:00

A day after an NGO issued a notice to Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan for smoking in public, a case was filed against the actor in a local here for allegedly promoting alcoholism by appearing in a liquor commercial.

A case was also filed against the manufacture of “Master Stroke Delux Whishly”, the brand endorsed by the film star.

In a petition filed before Chief Judicial Magistrate Deepesh Tiwari, complainant Vinod Kumar Tripathi said he saw a hoarding of the whisky brand featuring Shah Rhkh Khan with a catch line : “Success needs a master stroke”, reading which people chasing the brand.

The petitioner while filed the case demanded action against the actor for promoting alcoholism.

Advertising any of the alcohol or tobacco-based product and its consumption at public places is banned in the country.

Only yesterday National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) had issued a legal notice to the actor for smoking in public during two recent events – the Twenty20 cricket match in Mumbai and Hindustan Times Summit in Delhi.

Notice to Sharukh Khan for smoking in public

2007-10-28T22:38:00.001-07:00

Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was today served a legal notice by an NGO for smoking in public during the two recent events - the Twenty 20 cricket match in Mumbai and the Hindustan Times Summit in Delhi.
The NGO, Natural Organisation For Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) issued a legal notice to Shah Rukh Khan for smoking in public during the Twenty 20 cricket match in Mumbai and the Hindustan Times Summit in Delhi, NOTE, which is already into a legal battle with Amitabh Bachchan over his movie posters cigar, issued a legal notice through its lawyer.
The NGO has threatened to sue Khan for promoting smoking in public places, which is banned under the Anti-Tobacco Act. The notice to Khan has been issued under section-4 and 5(3) of cigarette and other tobacco products (prohibition of advertisements and regulation of trade, commerce, production, supply and distribution) Act, 2003.

Bhumika Chawla Ties The Knot

2007-10-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

Bollywood actress Bhumika Chawla today tied the nuptial knot yoga guru Bharat Thakur in Guru Nanak Dev Gurdwara at Devlali Camp near here.

The marriage was performed at a simple ceremony attended by close relatives and friends of Chawla and Thakur.

The Thakur family is a native of Devlali camp while the actress, who shot into fame with the musical blockbuster “Tere Naam” a few years ago, is a daughter of Col Ajit Singh Chawla (retd).